Apparatus for treating liquids



J. A. SCHAEFFER ET AL APPARATUS FOR TREATING LIQUIDS May 16, 1933.

Filed Feb. 29. 1932 34 INVENTOR Jean Ado/ eSchae/fer es Pfersch illaqEY:

ATTO

Patented May 16, 1933 um'rao STATES PATENT; OFFICE mu! anonrna scnanrrnaam) oaoaor. rrnascn, or marinas, mamas, assronons TO conaem moxmoua nusPETBOLEB, or rams, amen. a coaroaarror APPARATUS FOR 'I'REATIIG LIQUIDSApplication fled February 20, 1982, Serial No. 505,988, and in FranceSeptember 88, 1880.

This invention relates to an apparatus for treating liqbuids andparticularly for treatiin oils suc ash drocarbon, vegetable and ot eroils with acids and other reagents. A 6 process which ma be carried outby this apparatus is also escribed but not claimed herein. Claims forthis tained in a aipending app ication Ser. No.

595,927 filed ebruary 29, 1932.

Apparatus heretofore emplo ed in the refining of hydrocarbon oils, sucas lubricating and other fractions of the etroleum distillates emplo ed,has a series 0 tanks into which the 0i to be refined was placed andsulfuric acid of the proper strength added in one or more operations.The acid caused a reaction for the removal of asphalt andotherconstituents and after a period of .vigorous agitation and settling, Wsludge collected at the bottom of the tank.

Each tank was provided with a valved opening at the bottom so that theheavy material precigitated by the acid and which containe alsoconsiderable proportions of oil 2 and acid could be drawn ofi. Thereuponthe supernatant oil free from sludge could be neutralized. g

The above mentioned apparatus as will be obvious required considerablelabor to opcrate it. By its use it was diflicult to scour efliz-ientseparation of the constituents removable by acid.

The principal object of the resent invention accordingly is to provi e asimple inexpensive and e cient apparatus for refining oil by suchtreatment which shall substantlally eliminate disadvantages mentioned inthe use of such apparatus employed for this purpose.

rocess are COD- herein by way of example onl and in accordance with themanner in w 0b we now prefer to practice the invention.

Further and more specific objects, features and advantages c early ap atfrom the detailed description given be ow taken in connection with theaccompanyin drawing which forms a part of this eclfication andillustrates by way of ,examp e one enibodiment of the invention. In thedrawmg, Fig. 1 represents a diagrammatic elevation of apreferredembodiment of .the invention. Fig. 2 represents a detail view of one ofthe oil spray nozzles. Fig. 3 represents a detail view of one of theacid spray nozzles.

' Referring now particularly to this drawing, 1 indicates asubstantially cylindricalchamber for mixing and settling oil and acid.The oil is introduced throu h a series af oil atomizers designated as 2,ich are circumferentiall spaced near the upper edge of the cylin er atabout equi-distance from one another. Centrally di on the top of thechamber 1 is an atomizer 8. Atomizers 2 and 3 are as shown in theoutermost heads of drum-shaped hoods 4 and 5 respectively, the op to endof each hood communicating irectl .with the interior of the chamber 1. enozzles 2 are of a ial t as shown in reater detail in. 2. ach comprisesa ollow cylindrical ody rated from a chamber 26 by means of a iaphragm2c. The liquid forced through pipe 2e under the effect of pressure, canonly esea c to chamber 2b throu 11 0. row of slots 2 which are notndlcular to the axis, but tangential. these slots thus acquires a quickrevolving motion, and the combination of this revolving motion withinchamber 26, with the effect of the pressure applied, dis rse the jetthrou h openin M in form 0 a cloud or mist 0 very fine y divideddroplets.

e quid passing through 2awhich1sseaeither wit with. T

These nozzles are preferabl supplied with oil under pump ressure. heacid nozzle 3 is also of a special type as shown in Fig. 3. It is suplied with acid pumped thereto ii or without air under pressure ofapproximately 0.1 to 1 kg. per square cm. It com rises the followingparts: A hollow cylindrical body 3b terminated by a hollow cone 3e hastwo openings. Throu h opening 3a the liquid to be atomized is orccd bypressure and 3d is the only outlet which consists in an annular slotlimited between the conical button 30 and the edges of the concentricalhollow cone 3c. The width of the annular slot 31! is adjustable with ascrew 3f by means of which the button 30 can be set more or less closeto the edges of the hollow cone 3e. Another annular slot 3g terminatesthe concentrical space 372. limited between the hollow cone 3e and thehollow cone 3?. Compressed air introduced throu h opening 37' escapesthrough the annular slot 3g at a oint where it meets and disperses withvioence the liquid discharged through the annular slot 3e.

The nozzles described are capable of atomizing liquids assedtherethrough to a fineness of partic e size of about 0.005 mm. to 1 mm.in diameter. Nozzles of the type described were thus used in order toobtain the results below, although we believe that a variation in rangeof particle size produced thereby is ermissible. It is preferable thatthe size 0 the reactin particles be not so 85 large as to cause loss 0011 and acid to vary to any considerable extent from that describedbelow.

The nozzles 2 are directed inwardly and downwardly so that their axesrejected form the elements of a cone while t e center acid spray isalong the longitudinal axis of the cone. The dimensions of this cone maybe varied but as shown in Fi". 1 the axes meet at about one-third of theliei ht of the chamber 1 from the to thereof. he atomizers 2 and 3produce 1n the chamber a mixture of acid and oil fogs. The particles ofthis fog mixture are so fine that there is almost an immediate contactbetween all of the acid and all of the oil to form a substantiallyhomogeneousmixture thereof, and as this fog descends in the chamber 1 ittends to settle out and deposit particles of liquid therefrom. Thisliquid collects in the bottom of the chamber 1 and rises to about thelevel there shown. Air is supplied to the nozzle 3 through the line 6under pressure of approximately 0.5 kg. per square cm., being passedthrough the air sieve 7 to remove particles which might block thenozzle. This air passes out of the chamber 1 through a pipe 8 leading toan air filter chamber 9 filled with Raschi rings 10 or similar materialto prevent t e outflow of liquid theree acid supplied to nozzle 3 isdriven through an acid line 11 by pump 12. It passes through an acidfilter 13 to remove any particles which mi ht clog the nozzle 3.

The oil passes t rough a pipe line 14 to the nozzles 2 being forcedthrough the line by pump 15. The pumps 12 and 15 are proortionatingpumps, that is they may be adusted to give the right proportion of acidand oil respectively at a given speed of re tation of their common shaft101. Prior to reaching the pump or on the discharge line of the pumpsthe oil may be passed through a heat exchanger 16 through which heatexchanger a line 17 is adapted to carry steam or chilled brine or othertemperature regulating medium in order to heat or cool the oil asdesired. A control float 18 controls a by-pass valve 19 in a line 20 toby-pass the pump 15. This float member is in a chamber 21 connected by aipe 22 with a short well 23 running from t e bottom of chamber 1. Theliquid rises in the chamber 21 to the same height as in chamber 1 andthe float 18 floats on the top of this liquid. It is connected by asuitable means such as a chain to an arm operatin the valve 19 and incase the level of the iquid becomes too high in chamber 1 andcorrespondingly in chamber 21 the valve opens so as to allow liquid topass through the pipe 20 to by-pass the pump and reduce the amount ofoil passing to the sprays 2. An alternative would consist in eeping thefeed to the nozzles constant, but 0 crating a by-pass across pump 25opening t e valve of this b -pass when the liquid level in chamber 1 ten5 to become too low, and shutting it when level becomes too high.

rom the lower part of the well 23 through pipe line 24 the liquid passesthrough a pump 25 and to reaction chambers 26 and 27. Pump 25 isconnected on the same shaft with pumps 12 and 13, which are set todeliver respectively acid and oil to the sprays in proper proportion andpump 25 being correspondin 1y set to ump away theacid-oil mixture. ilachof t e reaction chambers consists of an upright hollow cylinder with amotor 28 in a cap thereon. The lower end of the motor shaft has a gear29 which meshes with a gear on top of shaft 32, which in turn throughgear 30 which meshes with gear 31 operates shaft 33. On both shafts aremounted circular bands 34 and 35 respectively. Rings 34 are mounted atright an les with respect to the rin 35, so that t ey will not interferewit 1 one another on rotation and will provide suflicient motion toprevent substantial settling of theoil-acid mixture pumped into thereaction chamber. As the shafts are rotating reverse in respect to eachother, the ten ency'which each one of them would have to carry theliqfiid in a rotating motion, is counteracted y the otherone, and

,trlfu al separator 42 runnin any centrifuging. emittis 'thusavoided,

which would otherwise tend to throwheayier particles 'sus nded' in theliquid against the walls of t e chamber. The speed of rotation of theserin 34 and 35 is approximately 200 to 400- P. M.

Liquid passes from the reaction chamber 26 to chamber 27 by pipe 36.From reaction chamber 27 it may pass b pi 37 to a reaction andinsolubihzi c am er 38. This chambenis supplied with water throu h aline 39, being pumped b puma 40. he amount of water is suitab y ated.-The chamber 3 is also provided with a motor 28 and gear riven shafts 32and 33 provided with rings 34-and 35 as in the case of the otherreaction chamber.

The mixture passing from the insolubilizing chamber by. pipe 41 passesto a cenat high s about 14000 R. P. M. cid-i'efined oil passes out ofthe pipe 43 and acid sludgcs pass out of the .i 44;. The process w lchwe in this ap aratus and .w our copen is as follows ing oil having aviscosity of 400" Saybolt Universal viscosimeter at 1 00.'F.) is heatedto F. by the heat exchanger 16 and is introduced under pump. pressurethrough refer to carry out hich is claimed in the sprays 2 and 3 at therate of approx:-

mate about 9 gals. r minute. The

sprays deliver a fine smo e or .fog into the V c amber 1 and are mettherein by the fine smoke or fog resulting from the spraying of sulfuricacid for example 96% H 80, or

other like relin' reagent passing from the spray 3. Sulfuric acid ofthis strength for t e treatment of the above oil is preferably pamedthrough the spray at the rate of 0.2 gal. per minute. The fog of themixed acid and oil descends and settles as a liquid in the bottom of thechamber, the air passing out of the chamber and away from the acidrocessif a mixture. At this int in the test tube of the mixture-of mi and oilbe taken, it will show a substantiall homo-.

geneous liquid, that is, there'will not be any apparent stratificationof any sulfuric acid and oil' or thefprese'nceof insoluble products insuspension detectable by the. naked eye. r

In the form mentioned it appears that the sulfuric acid and oil haveassumed prac ticallythe form of a homogeneous solution and reactionbetween the materials to pro-.

duce a sludge containing asphalt, coloring material, etc. should now beallowed to take place. We allow this reaction to take place for theproduction of these products while substantiall preventing the settlingthe insolub e products. This is one by passing the acid or mixture toone or, more reaction chambers, .26, 27 and 38 through a licationmentioned above,l

'(for example a lubr1catin amount, Oiacid which the li uid slowl passesoccupy' a suflicient int rval to allow the reaction tween sulfuric acidand the products to be "removed from the oil to take place. In order torevent the settlin mentioned, the

ring agitators are used w ich continue to products to be separatedandthe material is now ready to be separatedwhich is done by passing it toa separator having speed of a proximately 14,000 R. P. M. a As shown eacidoil asses out separately from the as haltic an other constituents.

e above description has been made in connection with a coil run under sfie conditions. t is to be understood 1: atjthe description isillustrativeof the roc'ess and the 'rocess is not-confined to the etailsthere given. The strength of the sulfuric acid may vary from 10 to 100%by weight of H 80, content. The oils may be of various 1: es, gasoline,kerosene, transformer 'oils, spindle oils, neutral oils,

machine oils, motor oils, cylinder oils, and

the like. y We have obtained successful results with temperatures of theuntreated oils ranging as low as 30 F. to as high as 160 F. The periodfor reaction in the reaction chamber or chambers will vary also accordiuto the type of oil and this-may; be controlle by the rate of gum ing. Oter rea nts may be em lo e suc as sulfuric'aci and in place of y rocarbonoils vegetable oils or others to be subjected to reaction with suchreagents mag be used. j

fter the reaction between the oil and reagent, it is important thatimpuritiesbe other materials thereby.

of different densities, as set forth in We have found that our processmentioned conserves time and expense, including particnlarly a marked10m req 1 Below isgiven in oil losses and a table showing the results oftests on various ty es of 011 as compared with the results o tained byemploying the old process in which the acid was brought into contact 5with the oil in two dumps with intermediate settling. The acid em ed inall of these tests contained 96% S The table is as .follows:

o. 'r. r. Infigj dustrlal treatment Original ell Viscosit y s "5' s as gg s a 5 five Q Q m as m s an;

'lransrfirmeroll 10B" 8. U. at '28 1% 12 10 1% lwF.(transformer oil.)

Lubricating neutral 0]]. WJ'DQSFU. at 5 4% 8 l4 4%Lubrleatlngsplndleofliap p 'u. at so 2% a 7 a Lubricating neutral oil. aa e. at 4.5 3% 810.5 3%

r Lubricatingneutraloll- 235'" 8. U. at 5. 4 810.5 3%

. 100' r. t a it i Lubrimtlng machine aa a g v. at a 4 5 1a 4%Luhiimting mum swap. 1 4 8138! oil. 100' r 1.54 m

as4 a ass hubrlmflnlmotwollu w' s u. at a 4 as 12in; Lubrlca llnder130"-S.IL at 10.2 as 11 s oil. a 212 F.

Savings on the acid range from 30 to 70% of the consumption as comparedwith the conventional process.- The savin on refined oil range from 20to 80% o the oils recovered when using the conventional proc- 40 ess.The oils obtained are acid oils free from substantially all insolubleparticles resulting from the reaction. The acid index of these oilsislo-w and is such that they may be immediately neutralized anddecolorized with clay; on even the clay treatment by contact have foundit inexpensive to install and operate and highly eflicient in action.

It is capable of continuous operation and with its compact form is ableto handle lar quantities of material in a relatively sma lgsace.

Although we have described the f from W the well of the mixing chamber 1as carried on by a pump and the supply of the water forinsolubilization. ,in the msolubilizing machine as also under pressure,it will be noted that the flow of materials through the re action andinsolubilizing chambers and to ltati neoaeaa the separator may becarried on by gravity if deemed.

While we have described our invention in considerable detail and withrespect to preferred forms thereof we do not desire to be limited tosuch details or forms. since many changes and modifications ma be madeand the invention embodied in wldely different forms withoutdepartingfrom the spirit and scope thereof in its broader as cts. Therefore wedesire to cover all mo ifications and forms coming within the langua eor scope of any one or more of the up n ed claims.

What we claim as new and esire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In an apparatus for treatin oils, in combination, means to atomize anmix an oil with a relatively immiscible reagent,

means to collect the atomized particles in li' uid .form, means toagitate the liquid while reactionoccurs said means being devised tocoalesce the reacting materials, and means for continuously separatingthe products of the reaction.

2. In an apparatus for treating oils, in combination, a chamberatomizers therein for a relatively immiscible liquid and liquid reagentto produce a substantially homogeneous mixture thereof, means to collectthe mixture in liquid form, means to agitate the liquid while reactionoccurs and mechanical means for substantially immediately sepatheproducts of the reaction.

3. u an oil refining apparatus in combination, means to atomize and mixboth an acid and a hydrocarbon oil, means to collect the mixture inliquid form,- a reaction chamher for holding the liquid while reactionoccurs between the oil and acid, and agitating device to agitate theliquid therein and centrifugal means for separating the oil from theproducts of the reaction.

4. In an oil refining apparatus in combination, a chamber, oil and acidatomizers at the top of said chamber to produce a substantiallyhomogeneous mixture of acid and .oil having a flow directed downwardlythereintowards a'bottom wall for collecting, a

reaction chamberdfor holding the liquid while reaction occurs betweenthe oil and acid, an agitating device to agitate the liquid therein andcentrifugal means for separating the oil from the products of thereaction.

5. In an oil refining apparatus in combination oil and acid atomizerstherein for producing a substantially homogeneous mixture of acid andoil fog, the lower part of said chamber serving to collect the atomizedmixture as a liquid, a reaction chamber for receiving the liquid mixtureand holding it imtil reaction occurs and means for receiving andseparating the oil from the reaction products.

6. An apparatus according to claim lin which there is means to introducean insolubilizing reagent into the liquid.

An apparatus according to claim 3 1n which the reaction chamber isprovided with 5 a means for introducing water therein to names to thisspecification.

JEAN ADOLPHE SCHAEFFER. GEORGE PFERSCH.

CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION.

Patent No. 1,908,923. May 16, 1933.

JEAN ADOLPHE SCHAEFFER, ET AL.

it is hereby certified that the name of the co-inventor in the abovenumbered patent was erroneously written and printed as "GEORGE PFERSCH"whereas said name should have been written and printed as "GEORGESPFERSCH" as shown by the records of the case in this office; and thatthe said Letters Patent should be read with this. correction thereinthat the same may conform to the record of the case in the PatentOffice.

Signed and sealed this th day of August, A. D. 1933.

M. J. Moore.

(8551) Acting Commissioner of Patents.

which there is means to introduce an insolubilizing reagent into theliquid.

An apparatus according to claim 3 1n which the reaction chamber isprovided with 5 a means for introducing water therein to names to thisspecification.

JEAN ADOLPHE SCHAEFFER. GEORGE PFERSCH.

CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION.

Patent No. 1,908,923. May 16, 1933.

JEAN ADOLPHE SCHAEFFER, ET AL.

it is hereby certified that the name of the co-inventor in the abovenumbered patent was erroneously written and printed as "GEORGE PFERSCH"whereas said name should have been written and printed as "GEORGESPFERSCH" as shown by the records of the case in this office; and thatthe said Letters Patent should be read with this. correction thereinthat the same may conform to the record of the case in the PatentOffice.

Signed and sealed this th day of August, A. D. 1933.

M. J. Moore.

(8551) Acting Commissioner of Patents.

